


Judith is a Matchmaker

by Doteruna



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Adorable Judith, Alexandria Safe-Zone, Background Relationships, Daryl Dixon/Rick Grimes Feels, Daryl is a Softie, Domestic Daryl Dixon/Rick Grimes, Domestic Fluff, Judith is a Matchmaker, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 02:38:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8428141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doteruna/pseuds/Doteruna
Summary: He’s about to yell for Daryl to wake up when he catches sight of the man laying on his bed, back propped up against some pillows and the headboard. He’s in an old T-shirt and soft, worn jeans, and Judith is curled up on his chest, sleeping soundly. 
 
Judith ends up getting her dad and her best babysitter together, all while she's asleep.





	

Judith had barely gone a day in her short life without falling asleep in someone’s arms. Each night, when the group settled down under a grove of thick trees or hunkered in abandoned homes, she would be wrapped carefully in Rick’s arms or snuggled in blankets and supported by Carl’s thin wrists. Carol often held her and even Glenn and Maggie had their fair share of time with Judith, cooing softly with a look in their eyes that Rick knew meant they wanted a baby of their own. She never fell asleep without being surrounded by someone’s arms, and every member of the group knew that without being held, Judith would likely never fall asleep. Even as a baby, she seemed to know the dangers of the world around her and would struggle to move her too-weak arms and legs to propel herself to the nearest person when the sun went down, and everyone but Eugene was happy to help her. 

 

Daryl, though. 

 

Daryl had made Judith a nest of blankets and a sturdy box back at the prison, writing a title on the side of the cardboard even before Rick knew what to name to give to his newborn daughter. Little Ass-Kicker. Rick remembers walking into the mess hall of the prison, so many months ago, to see Carl pass a grumpy Judith over to the hunter. For a second, Rick had been nervous. He trusted Daryl with his life, but he had just lost Lori--it was hard to let even Carl hold Judith sometimes, the fear of losing another member of his family all too real. But as soon as Daryl caught Judith’s eyes, her scrunched nose relaxed and her whines stopped, her tiny hands coming up to slap at the leather of Daryl’s vest. Rick had paused, his heart swelling with pride as someone Rick had come to consider a brother cared for his daughter like she was blood. 

 

Alexandria gave them a home. It gave them food, a strong roof over their heads, hot water, medicine, neighbors, barbecues, warm beds, a crib. It gave them normalcy. But Judith wasn’t used to normal. She’d whined and cried the first night until Rick picked her up out of the crib and took her to his mess of blankets on the floor. This continued every night for weeks until she began to get used to sleeping without someone’s arms around her, being able to stretch out her chubby arms and legs in the crib. Every few days, when someone in the group came back from a run smelling like old blood and gunpowder, she would grumble and sniff, unable to fall asleep until Carol rocked her or Glenn tucked her between his chest and Maggie’s. Rick was eternally grateful for their help; without the other members of the group, Judith’s wails could keep everyone in the surrounding houses up. With his new duties as constable for Alexandria, he was kept outside later at night than he would have liked and it was common for most of the group to be asleep by the time he got home, Judith huddled beneath blankets in her crib Rick’s room or sleeping in the arms of someone from their family if the crib didn’t cut it. 

 

It had been a long day for Rick. Someone had been caught sneaking extra rations out of the pantry and then tried to deny it, which led to a long argument that Deanna ended up resolving. The members of a run had come back late and without one of the cars, so Rick had to take two fast Alexandrians with him to recover it. Among other smaller things, Rick was exhausted, but tried to enter the house as quietly as possible so as not to wake the members of the group that constantly slept over. 

 

Stepping inside the moonlit house, Rick shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over the back of one of the chairs in the kitchen before poking his head into the living room. Rosita’s and Abraham’s heads were sticking out from underneath a pile of blankets on the sofa, so Rick crossed the hall silently and headed upstairs. Opening the door to his bedroom, he went immediately to Judith’s crib, only to find it empty. Assuming she was with Carl, Rick crept to his son’s bedroom door and cracked it open, peering inside. Carl is sprawled on the mattress, sleeping soundly, but no Judith. Rick has a second of heart-stopping panic--nobody found him today to tell him that they were going to have Judith for the night, and no one would take her from the house without permission. If she wasn’t in the crib and she wasn’t with Carl, where could she be?

 

Fearing the worst, Rick bolts across the hall to Daryl’s room, pushing open the door. He’s about to yell for Daryl to wake up when he catches sight of the man laying on his bed, back propped up against some pillows and the headboard. He’s in an old T-shirt and soft, worn jeans, and Judith is curled up on his chest, sleeping soundly. Daryl’s right arm is hooked under her bottom to keep her from sliding around and Rick can make out the gleam of a hunting knife in Daryl’s left hand, the pale moonlight shining off the sharp blade. Rick sags against the doorframe, heaving a quiet sigh. 

 

At the slight noise, Daryl’s eyes slide open, and Rick pushes a hand through his curls before straightening and moving towards the bed. Daryl doesn’t move a muscle, just watches him draw nearer. 

 

“She wasn’t in her crib, and Carl didn’t have her, and I couldn’t find her so I freaked out and--”

 

Rick’s frantic whispers are cut off when Judith grumbles and shifts, her teensy fingers gripping the fabric of Daryl’s shirt tighter and pushing her head deeper into his chest before she calms down again. Rick lets out a chuckle that’s only slightly awkward shakes his head. 

 

“She was fussin’ in her crib and wouldn’t keep quiet, I figured she needed someone to keep her company,” Daryl explained quietly, his chest barely moving. 

 

“Thank you,” Rick mumbled. He leaned forward to pick Judith up just as Daryl opened his mouth to say something else, but the hunter snapped it shut once he saw Rick moving. “What is it?”

 

“Naw, it’s nothin’,” Daryl muttered and moved to lift Judith. Rick stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

 

“Tell me. Is Judith okay? Did something happen?”

 

“Naw, no, she’s fine, I was just…” 

 

Daryl hesitated, but Rick just waited, eyes on his friend’s. 

 

“I had a rough day. Saw some shit while I was scouting with Aaron. It just messed with me but the Little Ass-Kicker cheered me right up, soon as I got back. Having her here helps me. Could we...I dunno, move the crib in here or somethin’?”

 

Rick knew the disbelief showed on his face because Daryl shut right up, trying to sit up and keep Judith from moving all while fumbling quietly, trying to explain away his wants. 

 

“--and she needs to be with her daddy and all, but Glenn ‘n Maggie have her all the time, and sometimes the crib isn’t warm enough, but it’s got more room than a--what’re you doin’?”

 

Rick dropped his uniform shirt on the ground and slid his belt from the loops on his pants, toeing his shoes and socks off as he took the last couple steps to the side of the bed and grabbed an extra pillow. 

 

“What does it look like?” he asked as he clambered onto the bed next to Daryl, smoothing a hand over his daughter’s unruly hair before laying down next to the other man. Judith, seeming to sense her father even in sleep, let go of one of her handfuls of Daryl’s shirt and wrapped her fingers around one of Rick’s. Daryl was forced to slide down and turn onto his side so that Judith could lay on the blanket between them, one hand fisted in Daryl’s shirt and the other gripping Rick’s pinky. Rick smiled and shut his eyes, and after a second, he felt Daryl let out a silent breath and minutely adjust so that he was in a comfortable position. Judith’s skin felt a little cold, so Daryl took a chance and slipped one arm over her body to keep her warm, his hand landing on Rick’s side. The former deputy just smiled, his eyes still closed, and laid his unoccupied hand over Daryl’s on his hip, lacing their fingers together. Daryl grinned and let his eyes slide shut.


End file.
